The 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting, taking place June 1-5 in Chicago, brings together more than 32,000 oncology professionals from around the world to present and discuss the latest research in cancer treatment and patient care.

Today’s Plenary Session highlights research that has the greatest potential impact on cancer care, including new treatment options and improved survival for breast cancer, kidney cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and rhabdomyosarcoma.

Read today’s patient-friendly news roundup on Cancer.Net, ASCO’s patient information website.

Most Women With Early Stage Breast Cancer Can Forgo Chemotherapy When Guided by a Diagnostic Test (Abstract LBA1)
A federally funded phase III clinical trial shows that most women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, axillary node-negative early-stage breast cancer and a mid-range score on a 21-tumor gene expression assay (Oncotype DX® Breast Recurrence Score) do not need chemotherapy after surgery.

Maintenance Chemotherapy Extends Life for Children With a Rare Cancer – First Treatment Advance for This Cancer in 30 Years (Abstract LBA2)
A new chemotherapy strategy improves cure rates for children with rhabdomyosarcoma (a rare cancer of the muscle tissue) who are at high risk for cancer recurrence.

Phase III Trial Finds Many People With Advanced Kidney Cancer Do Not Need Surgery (Abstract LBA3)
A randomized phase III clinical trial showed that many people with advanced kidney cancer can avoid surgery to remove the kidney (nephrectomy), without compromising survival.

Immunotherapy Pembrolizumab Works Better Than Chemotherapy Alone as Initial Treatment for Most Advanced Lung Cancers (Abstract LBA4)
A large, randomized phase III trial shows that the immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) is a more effective initial treatment than chemotherapy (the current standard of care) for the majority of patients with the most common type of lung cancer.

For more information about ASCO and the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting, visit am.asco.org.